New 3D Printing System Could Alter Short Interest in Sector

We continue to track the short interest changes in the primary 3D printer and services companies. The following information is based on data reported as of October 31.

Germany’s Voxeljet A.G. (NYSE: VJET) held its initial public offering on October 17, and on its first inclusion in this report 809,000 shares are held short. The company’s float is 14.6 million shares, indicating that about 5.5% of the shares are held short. From its IPO to the end of October, shares are up about 2.7% and closed at $51.15 Monday night, up 54% since October 17. The stock’s 52-week range is $19.30 to $52.78.

Short interest in 3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) fell 4.9% to 26.28 million shares. Some 27.1% of the company’s stock is short. In the two-week short interest period to October 31, shares rose 8.6% and are up nearly 33% through Monday’s close. The stock’s 52-week range is $24.35 to $77.85.

Short interest in Proto Labs Inc. (NYSE: PRLB) increased by 9.5% to 3.04 million shares, or 14.8% of the company’s float. Shares were up just 0.5% in the two-week period and closed Monday night at $87.63, up 5% since the middle of October. The stock’s 52-week range is $31.02 to $89.97.

Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) saw short interest drop 19.2% in the final two weeks of October to 2.04 million shares, or about 6.3% of the company’s float. Shares rose 3.5% in the two-week period and closed at $127.12 Monday, up 16% since October 15. The stock’s 52-week range is $59.68 to $128.75.

Short interest in The ExOne Co. (NASDAQ: XONE) rose 6.3% to 3.85 million shares. About 37.8% of the company’s shares are now held short. Shares of ExOne are up about 0.3% in the two-week period and ended Monday at $61.65, up more than 20%. The stock’s 52-week range is $23.50 to $78.80.

Short interest continues to pull back on ExOne, but it remains the most heavily shorted of all the 3D printing companies. 3D Systems launched a new $399 3D scanner and software combination last week that could compete head-to-head with the $1,499 MakerBot Digitizer system from Stratasys. The entry-level 3D printing market is still a wide-open field, but whether it is a major league park or a Little League diamond remains to be seen.